Improvement in seed-sowers



`To all whom it may concern:

`Haverstraw, Rockland county, State of New `declare the following to bea full description rect force is 'applied to operate the valve ininstantly disconnected from the Vcam-wheel by i "of the linkA from itsecond, in the method of making the seed-box or hopper adjustable uponi'N-ITED STATES VILLIAM F. VEST, OF IIAVERSTRAW, NEV `YORK.

uwpraoviznflizNr1NsEEn-sowrns.`

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,793, dated January27, 1874; application filed February Beit known 'that I, WTILLIAM F.Wnsr, of`

York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery forSimultaneouslyl Sewing Seed and Fertilizers; and I do .hereby of thesame. i

rIhe nature of my invention consists, rst, inthe method of operating theseed-valve by` means of a scalloped-face toothed wheel or camwheel onthe main axle of the machine, and an adjustable link-couplin g, hingedto the back end of the valve,`whereby a positive and diboth directions,and at the same time maybe the simple operation of` lifting the outerend its supporting cross-bar by means of suitable clamps a-ndbinding-screws, whereby two or more seed boxes, as auxiliaries forsowing larger or smaller varieties of seed, maybe supplied with themachine, to be brought into use in succession to sow the varieties ofseeds ordinarily planted by truck-gardeners, and thusy save thenecessity of using a number of machines to accomplish the same results,or a complex adjustment of valves to make them universal seed-sowers;third, in the method of operating the linke and roller for covering theseed in the furrow by means of their suspension at their back ends to across-bar, and a cord attached to the roller end of the furrow-coverer,whereby, by lifting the roller-levers by the cord, a pin uniting themtogether acting against the lower side ofthe fluke-lever, lift-s it alsofrom the ground, and thus intermits the entire operation of furrowin g.

But to describe my invention more particularly I will refer to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, the sameletters of reference wherever they occur referring to like parts.

Figure l is a lon gtudinal cut section of the machine through the line xa', Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe same having the hopper removed.Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe hopper,

l showing it subdivided into seedgand fertilizer compartments, and valveand link coupling in combination therewith. j

i Letters A are the two track-wheels, and B the axle on which they areadjusted, and C 4the frame upon which the working parts ot' the machineis attached, 'suspended by collars l), arranged on the axle so as topermit it to rotate without rotating the collars. ,Across the frame,just back ofthe axle, is secured a cross-bar, E, by screw-bolts or othersuitable means. Upon this cross-bar is arranged by means of a clamp, F,and binding-screws G, the hopper or seed-box H. rlhe object of thisarrangement ofthe seed-box is to make it adjustable-that is, that it maybe shifted from side to side of the frame, to be thrown out ot' use, sothat a second hopper similarly clamped i on the cross-bar may be adjusted in place of it, opposite thescalloped-shaped tooth-wheel I, to beoperated thereby to drop the seed and fertilizer. To enable the machineto do this the hopper or seed-box H is divided by a partition, J, so asto cut oit one of the holes, K, in the valve L, leaving in the other`compartment one or more holes, M, for theseed to es"- cape thereby, ormore properly to be taken thereby, to the vent N in the adjustablecutoii' plate O underneath the valve, and thence drop the seed andfertilizer through the one opening P in the clamp or base of theseedbox, into the upper end of the flexible hose Q leading to theinterior ofthe fluke R, to be deposited simultaneously and in contactwith each other in the furrow. In the seeding compartment of the hoppertwo seed -vents are shown in the valve. But one of these vents isintended to be used at a time, according to the size of seed to be sown.When thus used, the other is shut oft by a leather washer, S, secured tothe sides of the hopper, and having its end overlap the vent to be shuto", as shown in Fig. 3.

To operate the valve, it is hinged to a link, T, having two cross-pins,U, at opposite ends, and connecting the two sides of the link together.These pins are acted upon by the teeth of the scalloped cam-wheel I onthe axle B, so as to alternately draw out and force A-"LENT-@FrmM A backthe Valve by a steady and positive motion to cause it to act certainlyand smoothly at all times to drop the seed and fertilizer.

The object of making the link-connection with the Valve in the mannerset forth, is for two other purposes equally useful and important 5first, to serve the purpose of a coupling ofthe seeding apparatus withthe axle or prime 'motor of the machine; and, second, to facilitate theeasy, simple, cheap, and instantaneous uncoupling of the seedingapparatus from the axle by throwing the link back on its joint with theend of the valve against the hopper. Letter V represents the lever orarms to which the fluke R is attached by a center pin, XV, through anear-piece, X, forming a projection at the upper front side of the nukeand extending above. the end of the lever V with a safety-pin, a2, init. The object of this Inode of securing the lever and iiuke together isto prevent the linke breaking, should it come in contaet'with anobstruction. This is accomplished by making the safety-pin of Wood ofonly suiiicient strength to resist the strain. of soft yielding earth,but not strong enough to resist a strain that Would break off the pointof the iiukc, and therefore would break and let the iuke bend back inconsequence of its suspension on the center-pin lV, and the elasiicityof the flexible hose. Letter b2 represents the arms or levers of afurrow-covering roller,

c2, secured in its back end directly behind the iiuke, While their frontends are secured to the same cross bar or rod d2 as the arms of theiiuke. Between the ends of the fluke and roller-levers V and 112 on therod d2 is secured, by a binding-screw, e2, an adjustable collar, f2. Theobject of this method of securing the fluke and roller-levers to the rodd? in this Way is to admit of their being moved from side to side toadmit of the duplication of the fluke, if deemed necessary, Without achange of conY struction in the machine, because the single link-coupling, by lengthening the jointpin by Which it is attached to the valveextendin g across the frame of the machine, could be made to operate anynumber of valves that could be arranged Within the frame. For thepurpose of lifting the iiuke out of the furrow When not required foruse, a cord, g2, is attached to the roller end of the levers b2, andthence carried up and around a cross-bar, 71,2, Within the easy reach ofthe person using the machine, Which, by drawing up, lifts theroller-levers, and thus brings the cross-piu 7a2 through their sides upunder the fluke-lever V, and thus lifts both fluke and roller from offthe ground.VY

Having now described my invention, I will proceed to set forth what Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States.

l. The combination of the selfadj ustablc link-coupling T with the valveL and scallopedfac-ed tooth or cam Wheel I, made and operatingsubstantially in the manner hereinbeforc set forth.

2. The combination ofthe hopper H, the crossbar E, With the clamp F andbinding-screw Gr, for the purpose of making said hopper or seed boxadjustable from side to side on the said cross bar, substantially ashereinbefore described.

3. The adjustable flukelever V and furrow roller-lever b2, as arrangedto Work one under the other, and jointed or hinged to the crossbar d2,in combination with the lifting-piu 7.-? in the levers b2, roller c2,and pulley-cord, g2, all arranged as set forth, and for the purposesdescribed.

WILLIAM F. WEST.

lVitn esses:

JOHN H. LAW, XV. W. OLDFIELD.

